My Customized Shaving Horse

[Jim Paulson]

Hi everyone,
I made this shaving horse from a plan in the early 80's. I used pallet wood which was oak and I made a few chairs with it over the years. Well Brian Boggs featured his shaving horse not too long ago in FWW magazine (no. 139,p. 122) and I finally got around to sooping my mine up as well. It all got started when I bought some rawhide on the internet months ago and I wanted some better holding power for shaping Windsor chair spindles. Sorry about the photos couldn't get them vertical.
Jim

shaving horse 4.jpgphoto.jpgshaving horse 1.jpgshaving horse 3.jpg

[Jim Paulson]

Here are a couple pictures that are better to look at.
The grooved block covered in rawhide will make this sweet to shape spindles. I made the top member so that it has 7/8" round tenons at each end so that I can turn. That way I get the full benefit of the rawhide being on the 2-1/2" dia cyclinder. The rawhide gluing job didn't turn out as attractive as I had planned, but this is a working horse and the rough side of the rawhide is the ticket.

Peace,
Jim

Shaving Horse 6.jpgShaving Horse 7.jpg

[Pam Niedermayer]

That's quite a tilt, Jim. How do you avoid sliding into the work? I really like Boggs' newer design that has the front lopped off for ease in doing bent chair legs.

Pam

[Jim Paulson]

That's quite a tilt, Jim. How do you avoid sliding into the work?
Pam

Hi Pam,
Previously, I had some challenges with applying sufficient clamping pressure while I was using a drawknife. Years ago I made a couple armchair ladderback chairs using ash for the legs and it was tough holding the ash stock. The thing with this shaving horse is that it was originally designed I believe for use by coopers and the top frame member might have even sported a couple of bolts to grip/hold a stave in place. Not being a cooper and not wanting to build more than one shaving horse, I have learned to compensate for that aspect when making chair parts.

I have been planning to redo my shaving horse for some time and I think that the rawhide (rough side out) will give me much improved holding power. The rawhide covered cyclindral top head and the rawhide covered grooved platform seem very promising for holding oak Windsor chair spindles without slippage. I'll find out soon as I return to making a dozen or so tampered chair spindles.

I don't know yet about working bent chair legs on this shaving horse. I suppose I could make a another platform that featured a couple grooves that angled away from the center line. But, I think what you were probably talking about was clearance from the ramp. This design in contrast to Boggs' newer design will probably have a limitation there as you suggested.

Thanks for looking!
Jim